ways to decorate leather - NEATLY!

[kettle]

I'm about to get a 2010 diary, hopefully, and want to do something with its soft (real) leather cover as I'll probably not be able to get an interestingly-coloured one.  I'm wondering about some sort of foil bonding but I'd love to know what else I could do.  It needs to be durable as this thing's going to be knocking around in my bag for twelve months.  Ideas?

[Kristov]

The finish used will determine what can and cannot be done. Wax based finishes won't allow much or anything to stick very well.

If it is "genuine" leather, super glue may actually work. If it is real/top grain, I would try something more along the lines of contact cement. A good strong rubber type glue (have good ventilation, and by good, I mean outside). If your not sure if it is top grain or genuine, a small amount of the rubber cement may dissolve "genuine', and thus test on a very small corner that is not noticeable.

Other than literally stitching stuff onto it through the cover, gluing would probably be your best option.

[Wulf]

Magix leather spraypaint will stick to pretty much any leather, and you could use it to either re-colour your book cover or stencil onto it. (Or both.) Magix comes in all sorts of colours, and where I live you can buy them at most shoe repair shops. GOOD VENTILATION IS ESSENTIAL, however, and be sure to leave the freshly-painted object to dry in a well-ventilated place (like outside or in the garage) for 24 hours until the paint has completely off-gassed and cured.

Wulf